


Paradise is more than a Place

by Rocofort



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ancient Greek Religion & Lore Fusion, Angst, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Calypso Au, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Lots of Angst, Nvm happy ending screw that, Tzuyu loves her plants okay, probably gonna have a sad ending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:29:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27845281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rocofort/pseuds/Rocofort
Summary: Tzuyu has tried not to become attached to the people who wash up on her shores. She tries to protect herself. Tries to tell herself it doesn't hurt when they always end up leaving.But she can't fight her curse.
Relationships: Chou Tzuyu/Son Chaeyoung, Hirai Momo/Minatozaki Sana, Minatozaki Sana/Son Chaeyoung
Comments: 24
Kudos: 42





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> not me writing the majority of this in my economics zoom
> 
> anyway don't touch tzuyu's plants if you want to live. i have been really inspired to write by the eyes wide open album from twice. handle it is the best song ive heard from them maybe of all time idk yet
> 
> anyway enjoy :)

It had been so long.

Time was different here, but she knew centuries have passed since her home was shared with anyone else. 

In her first years of exile, when Tzuyu was still young, she was excited to meet the next person to wash up at her home. They always brought with them epic stories of their adventures and heroics. The island of Ogygia wasn’t so bad. Cypress, olive, oak, and cedar trees formed the lush forests covering the island, with countless species of flowers in it’s pastures. Honey bees and birds dominated the skies, and herds of sheep wandered and grazed as they pleased. An elevated lake flowed into a stream that cascaded down the mountainside near her home. The sandy white beaches were untainted and immaculate, littered with washed up seashells. The mild climate and steady breeze completed this paradise.

But, it didn’t take long for Tzuyu to realize this was anything but paradise.

As time went up, the reality of Tzuyu’s solitude crashed down on her, her bitterness growing towards the people who washed up on her prison. As time went on, Tzuyu started forgetting about the people who washed up on her shores. The first thing she always forgot was the sound of their voice. The only exception had been a woman named Jihyo, whose voice held such raw power and emotion she still heard it in her dreams. Her voice haunting her with the melancholy songs she used to sing. Sometimes, Tzuyu missed her.

When more time passed and Tzuyu could no longer remember the sound of their voice, the second thing she would forget was their names. All of them had something in common. Idealistic overconfident heroes who all had something to prove.All their names blended together, muddled in her mind, mixed up in the monotony of her pitiful existence.

The third thing she forgot was their face. There was another exception, a woman named Mina, whose soft features etched themselves deep into Tzuyu’s mind. Very few people left such an impression they were impossible to forget. 

Most were easily forgotten.

-

Tzuyu enjoyed working in her garden. Pruning and weeding used to be an annoying chore, but Tzuyu had grown to enjoy nurturing and growing something other than herself. 

The gentle warmth of her poppies, the mysterious glow of her elderworts, the fruitful bounty of her grape vines. There was great reward in growing your own ingredients to cook with.

Grabbing a large wicker basket and some shears, she headed out of her home down the forested path to her garden. Today would be the first big harvest in a few weeks. There weren't any seasons in Ogygia, but a few months out of the year brought a cooler climate causing some of her plants to hibernate.

She trampled the stone path, the sun’s rays peeking through the tree canopy. Picking olives from low hanging branches on the path to snack on, she walked with a slight spring in her step, a rare occurrence. The path led alongside a calm stream, the ambience of gushing water soothing her thoughts. A small breeze ruffled the leaves, carrying with it the salty smell of the ocean. She kept along the path, arriving at her gardens after a minute or two more of walking.

Over time, she had built more and more garden beds, expanding her garden until it was comically large, way more grand than it needed to be. There was more than enough food growing here to feed a whole village, and she could never harvest all of it. She still did her best to harvest as much as she could. She cared for her garden the way a mother cared for her children.

Tzuyu was very attached to her plants, to say the least.

Her gardens had a great view of the beach. It was elevated on a cliff to get a good amount of sunlight, really a gorgeous spot, Tzuyu was glad she picked it out.

She knelt down and began harvesting her vegetables and flowers, hoping to brighten up her home a little bit. One girl, Dahyun, Tzuyu thinks her name was, taught her how to find and dig up clay to make pottery. She had some vases that these flowers could fill. Her vision tunneled as she worked, humming a tune she remembered Jihyo used to sing. 

She worked for hours, pulling up pesky weeds, repairing some of the beds whose wood had begun to rot, and clearing away rotten fruit and leaves that the bugs had gotten too. 

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind picked up, making her whole body stumble at the sudden force. The gust was so forceful it knocked over her basket, scattering fruits and vegetables all over the place. She scrambled to pick them up, cursing every god under the sun. Some squash rolled towards the cliff, and Tzuyu rushed to grab them before they fell. As she bent down to pick them up, she noticed something in the distance, close to the shore, bobbing in the ocean. A dark speck, a piece of driftwood maybe?

Then, she thought she saw a hand. A person?

Shocked, Tzuyu ran back down the path, heading down the cliff towards the beach, her precious harvest forgotten.

Another human? How long has it been since someone washed up on her shores? Tzuyu stopped keeping track of time a very long time ago, she saw no point in doing so, especially since she was spending eternity on this island. One thing she did know is it has been a very long time.

She broke out into a run on the beach, spotting the body half submerged as the tides pushed it around like a ragdoll.

She yanked off the white dress she was wearing, and swam out in her undergarments. Luckily, the body wasn’t too far from shore, and they were much smaller than Tzuyu, so it wasn’t difficult to swim the frigid body back to the beach. Without much effort, she dragged the person away from the water onto the dry sand. She hoisted them on their back and took the time to examine them closely. 

It was obvious now that it was a girl, she had short cropped hair sticking to her face from the ocean water. She had a small nose and full lips, on her chin was a mole. 

She was gorgeous, that much was clear, as well as unconscious. Her skin was frigid to the touch, but impossibly soft. Her chest was rising up and down, so Tzuyu knew she was alive. 

Sighing, she grabbed her dress from where she tossed it in the sand and dusted it off. Hopefully the sun would help warm and dry the mysterious girl off. 

Tzuyu walked back to where the girl was laying and took in her clothes. 

She didn’t really recognize what the girl was wearing, it looked rather strange. It was tight on her skin, exposing her form quite obviously. Her legs, arms and torso were completely covered in the black, stretchy material. Some strange shoes that looked like the flippers of ducks that hung around the stream were on her feet.

She covered the girl with her dress, hoping to help warm her up. She didn’t want to carry her back up the hills to her home, she would rather the girl wake up instead. 

It was strange, the peaceful soft breaths of another person was something Tzuyu never imagined she would miss.

She inhaled the ocean air, deep in thought. It was just another person. Likely to stay a few weeks before going mad with the need to leave Ogygia. 

Maybe it was best if Tzuyu wasn’t here when she woke up. She got up from her place sitting next to the girl and grabbed her dress, which was now soggy and covered in sand.

The girl groaned and Tzuyu froze, scared the girl had woken up. The girl shifted her legs slightly, and Tzuyu could have sworn she saw her eyes squint open, but the girl’s breath leveled and she stayed asleep.

Her eyes were beautiful. A deep abyss of hazel.

Tzuyu ran back to her garden to gather her things. She absolutely couldn’t go through it again. She couldn’t fall for another one.

She couldn’t handle the heartbreak.

-

Tzuyu grabbed her basket and shears, not able to even worry about the scattered harvest. Her mind was racing, tears welling in her eyes.

She raced along the path, following the familiar cobblestones back to her home. When she arrived she slammed open the door and dropped her basket on the floor. She hadn’t cried in centuries, but for some reason, she couldn’t hold back.

Curse the gods. Wasn’t being exiled to this island enough? Why did they have to cast upon her human after human, just to throw off any semblance of routine she may develop. Just to toy with her. 

It was funny, sometimes the gods used to visit her. Well, only one god, Hermes, but he hadn’t visited her in so long, she forgot his voice too.

Did she really deserve this?

Sometimes Tzuyu couldn’t recall what evil deed she had committed to deserve being imprisoned eternally.

-

Tzuyu fell asleep soon after her final tears fell. Combined with the exhaustion of gardening, she slept soundly. 

When she woke up hours later, it was dusk, and the orange rays of the sunset filled her home with a beautiful glow.

Tzuyu forced herself to get up. As much as she hated it. As much as she wanted to ignore this girl that washed up on her shores, she simply couldn’t help her curiosity. Grabbing a new dress, she set out back to the beach. 

When she got there, Tzuyu wasn’t surprised to see the girl was gone. It was easy enough to figure out where the girl was resting earlier, the sand was pressed down and scattered out of place from the rest of the untouched sand, and footprints could be seen heading into the forest.

Tzuyu followed the footsteps cautiously, noticing the strange shoes the girl wore abandoned along the way. Out of curiosity, she stopped to examine them. They really were strange, and the webbed feet looked exactly like that of a duck. Maybe they were meant for swimming?

Tzuyu continued on following the trail up the beach. From the looks of it, it seemed the girl paced around for a little bit before her tracks led up to the cobblestone path Tzuyu had laid out. 

Not ideal.

-

Chaeyoung could have sworn she saw an angel. Maybe she was dead? The way her body ached definitely made it feel like she was dead. She tried her hardest to move, but her body wouldn’t and she felt her eyes droop, unable to stay awake. The angel towered over her, and though Chaeyoung’s vision was cloudy, she couldn’t help but feel serene at the woman’s presence. It felt like everything was going to be okay. She fought with everything she had to stay conscious, but she felt her eyes close on their own and she passed out again. 

-

Cracking open her eyes, Chaeyoung saw nothing but dark blue skies above her. Her joints ached as she sat up, blinking her eyes a few times to get used to the light. 

Disoriented, she looked down at herself, taking stock of possible injuries. Why this was her first instinct, Chaeyoung didn’t really know. Her whole body ached, but she didn’t see any surface wounds. 

That was good.

Her hair still felt damp, but the rest of her body was relatively dry. Scanning her surroundings, she realized she was on an island of some sort. The beach stretched around from both sides, the ocean disappearing on the horizon.

That was not good.

She stood up, her legs wobbly as she stretched. Her wetsuit was a little crusty, but it wasn’t torn anywhere, and somehow both flippers stayed on her feet.

That was good.

There was a cliff behind her, surrounded by forest. Chaeyoung took a few steps in the sand towards the forest, but her flippers were a huge hindrance, so she quickly took them off. How long had she been laying on the beach? Did she imagine that woman standing over her? Was she alone here? How did she even end up here? It was hard to remember, her memory felt foggy. She paced around, racking her brain for an explanation as to how she ended up here, but she only drew a blank.

That was not good.

Letting out a deep sigh, she approached the forest and noticed a clearing in the trees, where a cobblestone path was laid out. The island was inhabited? 

Chaeyoung burst forward, a huge smile covering her face. If this island was uninhabited, Chaeyoung would have had a whole other set of problems on her hands. 

Chaeyoung followed the stones until she arrived at a fork in the path, one heading left, up the cliffs, and one to the right, leading deeper in the woods.The sky was darkening rather quickly, and Chaeyoung didn’t intend on mulling over which direction to go, so she turned left and hoped for the best. As she continued down the path barefoot, her stomach growled loudly. How long had it been since she last ate? Just thinking about food made the hunger ache even worse and she only just now realized how hungry she was. Pushing forward she continued on the path as it sloped upwards and came to a clearing, covered in elevated garden beds. Each one was meticulously well maintained, and grew all sorts of fruits and vegetables. Chaeyoung started drooling when she spotted the long fence wrapped in grapevines, covered in the purple fruit. 

Unable to think of the consequences, she ran forward with new found vigor and started yanking grapes off the vine, stuffing her mouth. They were juicy and firm, perfectly ripe, and Chaeyoung groaned at the sensation in her jaw as she chewed. Her hands were full as she grabbed more and more, swallowing aggressively as she stuffed more in her mouth.

Never had she felt this hungry before. But these grapes… they were a gift from a higher being they were so good.

“Excuse me, you’re eating my grapes!” A very feminine, very angry voice suddenly yelled from behind her. 

Chaeyoung froze, cheeks stuffed, caught red handed. She turned around slowly, trying desperately to chew and swallow, when she saw the most beautiful girl she had ever seen in her life.

And she looked pissed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like im kinda all over the place with this one. I just have so many ideas and im just really inspired to write right now.
> 
> Also i have recently been blessed with the discovery if d-1 by yves and i feel the need to share the blessing bc i cant stop listening to that song its so good.
> 
> Anyway enjoy :P

“You-stop putting more in your mouth!” Tzuyu yelled, frustrated that the person she saved only a few hours ago was now desecrating her plants.

“Well… I alweady picked dem.” The shorter girl said, her mouth full as she chewed. “What’s the point in wasting?”

Tzuyu let out a sigh. She forgot how inconvenient having other people around could be. 

“Look, you can have as much food from my garden as you want, seeing as you’ll be stuck here for the time being, but at least properly harvest the fruit instead of just yanking them off the vine.” Tzuyu said, raising her voice.

“Well I don’t know anything about harvesting.” The girl said, glancing back at the vines, and carefully picking off another grape. Tzuyu was about to strangle this girl. “Wait… what do you mean I’m gonna be stuck here?” She asked, eyes widening as she chewed on the stolen grape.

Tzuyu huffed, storming off. She couldn’t deal with this right now. Usually, Tzuyu would do anything to stop people from leaving. Burning their boats, sabotaging their rafts. Anything to stop the burning of loneliness. She would do everything to try to convince them to stay, but eventually memories of their previous life convinced them to leave.

Now, Tzuyu was above that. She didn’t need anyone. She would help this annoying girl, with no regard for other people’s gardens, to get off this prison. This was Tzuyu’s punishment, not anyone else’s.

At least, that’s what she convinced herself.

“Hey, wait! Where are you going? What is this place? Who are you?” The stranger asked, jogging to catch up with Tzuyu’s long, hurried strides.

“Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot… will you slow down?” Tzuyu stopped, this girl was already acting extremely stubborn, and it was clear she couldn’t expect the shorter girl to just leave her alone. 

“Okay, can we start over? I’m Chaeyoung, and I am extremely sorry about eating your grapes. She stuck her hand out, which Tzuyu stared at awkwardly, unsure of the gesture's implication. Chaeyoung noticed the confusion on her face and blushed. “Sorry, this is a handshake, it’s a form of greeting. Just give me your hand.” 

Her confusion was replaced with skepticism as she cautiously gave the shorter girl her hand. Chaeyoung had a strong grip and shook their hands up and down before letting go, leaving Tzuyu puzzled. “That’s it?” The girl asked.

“Well yeah, sometimes a bow is more formal I guess.” Chaeyoung said, bowing down in front of her.

Well this conversation took a turn.

“Look, there are some fallen cedars on the far side of the island that will be perfect for carving out a boat. We can get you out of here in no time.” Tzuyu explained, deviating from the path, not checking if the girl was following. All she wanted was to get this girl off her island as soon as possible. It was easy to imagine all the gods amused at her suffering, playing with her emotions as if she wasn’t a living being. 

The gods have always been cruel.

“Wait, you still haven’t answered any of my questions! I told you my name so it’s only fair I get your name.” Chaeyoung said, crossing her arms in a pout. It was actually… kind of cute.

“I am called Tzuyu.” Said girl started walking again, realizing it was getting dark, so she turned back towards her house.

She heard Chaeyoung’s footsteps pick up as well.

“So what is this place called.” Chaeyoung asked, stealing olives along the trail much like Tzuyu was this morning.

“This is Ogygia. To you it could be paradise. To me it’s my prison.” 

“Prison? You’re being held captive?”

Tzuyu sighed, she didn’t really feel like explaining the whole situation. “Look, it’s getting dark, we’ll go out tomorrow morning to fetch the wood, then we can carve you out a boat and you can be on your way.”

“Wow, I thought I apologized about the garden. You really wanna get rid of me already.” Chaeyoung jokes.

Tzuyu turned around to send the younger girl a glare, but the cheeky smile on her face made her pause for a moment. This human was infuriating. Turning forward, Tzuyu decided it wasn’t worth the headache. They arrived at her home and instructed Chaeyoung to wait outside, much to the girl’s chagrin.

Doing everything to keep her visitor at arms length, Tzuyu grabbed some sheep wool blankets she made on her loom, as well as a jar of figs. A long time ago (maybe not that long), with open arms Tzuyu would invite visitors into her home. Being hospitable was something she used to pride herself on, but it was easy to grow bitter as more humans came, enjoying her gifts, and then leaving. 

No matter what she did, they always left.

What was the point in being nice? They probably forgot about her when returned to their homes. It was hard to believe that the gods allowed the mortals they sent to Ogygia to keep their memories of the place.

Just another cruel facet to her cursed existence.

Thrusting the blankets into the confused girl’s hands, Tzuyu closed the door, avoiding the problem completely. 

\- 

Chaeyoung must have really upset this girl. Her cold demeanor was even more intimidating than her glare. The blanket she dropped in her hands was impossibly soft however, and the jar of figs she (almost) dropped was a thoughtful gift.

Her behaviour was confusing to say the least.

Lots of things about Chaeyoung’s current situation was confusing. She had never even heard of an island called Ogygia, and Chaeyoung prided herself with knowing the area’s she was conducting research in.

Research? Was she doing research? A memory teased itself at the back of her mind, and the more Chaeyoung thought about it, the more her head began to ache. Research… faces flashed before her eyes, but as quick as they came, they were lost.

Frustrated, she kicked a stone as she walked. The memories teased her and then left. What was she doing before she drifted onto the shore of this island?

Tzuyu also cryptically mentioned this place as her prison. It certainly didn’t seem like a prison, but Chaeyoung barely remembered her own name, so what did she know?

Not to mention the strange clothes the girl wore. It looked like something plucked straight out of ancient Greece. The flowing white fabric resembled a traditional Greek chiton. She paced, unsure of what to do with herself. It was clear from the way Tzuyu slammed her door she had no intention of opening it again. 

The moon was peeking through the trees, and the warmth of the sun was gone. Chaeyoung decided to wander around for a bit, maybe there was someone else here who would help her out?

She retraced the path, looking for signs of anyone else, the glow of lights, anything. A breeze picked up, leaving goosebumps on her skin, her body beginning to shiver. It definitely was getting colder, and Chaeyoung picked up her pace as the temperature dropped. Disoriented, she wandered the forest, getting lost as exhaustion started seeping into her joints. The soreness she felt earlier in the day hadn’t left, and Chaeyoung wanted nothing more than to lay down and sleep. The grass was so soft beneath her feet, she gave in to her fatigue and collapsed, wrapping the warm blanket around her shivering frame as her eyes shut.

-

What was that? Chaeyoung almost let out a giggle as she felt a soft tickle on her face. 

“Sanaaaa stop.” Chaeyoung grumbled, rolling over, away from the perpetrator. The hard ground beneath her was uncomfortable, and the poking of grass on her skin made alarm bells go off.

Who was Sana?

She shot her eyes open, looking around to examine the forest around her. Her body was still cocooned in the soft blanket and her back ached from sleeping awkwardly on the ground. The sun was up high in the sky, peeking through the thick leaves. Chaeyoung must have slept for a while, considering the sun was already almost at its peak. Sitting up, Chaeyoung realized she was not alone, seeing a large brown goat standing over her. 

Chaeyoung would have screamed if the goat wasn’t staring right at her, an inquisitive look on it’s face, shutting her up before she could even think of yelling. Another, smaller one currently had it’s head stuffed into the jar of Chaeyoung’s food. 

Huffing, Chaeyoung didn’t even bother to stop the small goat. There probably wasn’t much left in there anyway. Shooing off the first goat, Chaeyoung stood up, stretching in discomfort. Her skin was beginning to itch with the wetsuit. 

They really weren’t meant to be worn to sleep. 

As Chaeyoung rubbed her eyes, she realized how quiet it was. Aside from the goat chewing on the figs Tzuyu had given her, it was eerily quiet. The silence was so loud if she had to stand here for much longer she probably would have gone crazy.

Who is Sana? Faces. A woman. Who is she?

Suddenly, the low hum of bees buzzing, the rustling of leaves, the calls of birds flooded her ears. The silence was broken.

The face was forgotten.

Who is Sana?

Now Chaeyoung really wanted to scream, and not because there was a goat standing on her. What had happened to her? Maybe she hit her head and that’s why she lost her memory, yet, it didn’t really feel like she had a head injury. Then again, she had no way of knowing how long she had been drifting at sea before she washed up on this island.

Another face flashed in her memory, when she hadn’t quite woken up. An angel. But she looked kind of familiar…

Chaeyoung folded up the blanket, and while doing so the smaller goat pulled its head out from the jar, seeming to have lost interest. It scampered away, into the thick brush, and disappeared. Well, there goes her breakfast.

She bent down and picked up the jar, which was completely empty, and set off to wander around the forest. It was hard to tell the scale of the island from what Chaeyoung has seen, but through the canopy she could see a small mountain, elevated above the island. Maybe if she got to the high ground, she would be able to better assess the situation she was stuck in. Hopefully, spot some people other than the cranky goddess she seemed to have pissed off.

I mean, she definitely fit the description of a goddess.

Now that she thought of her, this girl, Tzuyu, kept talking about carving out a boat for her to leave in. Did the girl not actually have a boat, or any way off the island? Her original assumption was that if the taller girl really was imprisoned here, there would have to be other people guarding her, right?

Chaeyoung was very confused, and the cryptic answers Tzuyu had given her hadn’t helped. She continued walking, feeling the ground start to slant upward. She was so deep in thought, trying to connect the strings of information she had been given, she didn’t even notice the change in terrain as the trees cleared and large rocks began springing up. Soon she found herself at the base of a cliff, gazing up at the mountain. It wasn’t too tall, and Chaeyoung thought calling it a mountain would be a slight stretch of the truth, but it definitely was going to help out. 

Pushing onward, she kept going until she came across a large overhang, covering a smooth wall. There was a basket, definitely hand made as well, sitting on a nearby rock. 

“Hello? Is anyone here?” Chaeyoung shouted, hoping to catch the attention of who this stuff belonged to.

When she got no reply, Chaeyoung decided to go in for a closer look. From up close, the basket looked worn and was tearing to threads in some places. Some moss was even growing at the bottom, creeping up the sides.

Clearly, it hadn’t been moved in a while. As she got even closer, inside appeared to be some smaller jars, looking eerily similar to the one that was given to her from Tzuyu. They had very similar patterns painted carefully on them, and the shape was practically identical. They even had all their lids on. Curious, she carefully removed one of the lids, and inside the jar was a red powder. Puzzled, Chaeyoung removed the other lids and found powders of all colors inside the jars. The rock that this basket sat on was actually covered in faded colors, some mixed together, separated into their own blotches of color..

She had no idea what this powder was, and it definitely didn’t smell like any spice Chaeyoung had ever had.

Chaeyoung scanned around the area, for any clues as to what this might be, and realized from this angle, she was closer to the overhang and could see past the shadows it cast. There on the rocks, was a beautifully painted portrait of… a woman. 

It was painstakingly detailed, with moles doting her face and her dark, lengthy hair expertly highlighted. Her expression was serene, and the painting abruptly stopped at her shoulders, where outlines were created, but never finished. 

It was hard to guess how long this painting had been here, but considering the creeping vines and moss, as well as the slight fading even though the overhang protected it from the elements, Chaeyoung would guess it’s been here a while. Maybe those powders were some sort of paint?

Chaeyoung glanced at the painting a final time, a strange feeling coming over her. It felt important somehow, almost like a memory, like she was intruding on something intimate. As she got closer, Chaeyoung saw many scribbles of the same pose the woman was in, hastily brushed on another wall. The same pose over again, slightly altered each time. It was like whoever did this was trying to do it from memory, but couldn’t quite get it right. 

She gave the painting one final glance.

Realizing she was getting distracted, Chaeyoung continued her trek until she reached the top of a large bluff, where she had a vast view of the island. Eventually she picked out the beach where she washed up, noticing the nearby clearing with the Tzuyu’s garden beds nearby. Glancing towards the horizon, in all directions it was just more ocean. The island itself was only a few square kilometers at her best guess, and she saw no signs that anyone else was here. There was no marina with boats, or docks of any kind. She couldn’t even see any buildings. 

Chaeyoung decided to stay hopeful and assume that they were just hidden by the trees, considering she was having a hard time even spotting Tzuyu’s house. Chaeyoung decided maybe it was time to return Tzuyu’s house, maybe beg for forgiveness a little bit.

Her team constantly reminded her how much of a clown she could be, and Tzuyu seemed pretty annoyed yesterday.

Her team? More memories surfaced, and this time instead of the faces drowned in fog, they were clear in her head. 

Sana?

The faces were gone.

Again.

“Fuck! What is wrong with me?” She rubbed her head, subconsciously feeling for bumps, seeing if she really did hit her head. She couldn’t come up with an explanation for anything that was happening.

Leaving her perch, Chaeyoung decided to head back down the mountain. Her idea of begging Tzuyu for help and answers seemed to be more appealing, as embarrassing as it was.

Honestly, Chaeyoung didn’t learn much from this excursion, other than the painting and the fact that this island was very far from any other land mass. 

There was also the lack of technology and the clothes Tzuyu wore. The strange lilt in her voice. It felt like she had been transported from the twenty-first century back to ancient Greece. 

Ogygia? Surely she has heard of this place. Her research requires that she knew it.

What was her research again?

-

Tzuyu’s home held a glow from inside, and an incredible smell wafted from it’s direction. Chaeyoung’s mouth watered at the smell of baking bread invaded her senses.

Nervously, she lifted her hand and knocked firmly on the door. Moments later, Tzuyu opened the door, wearing a similarly embroidered chiton with an apron over it, and she was covered in flour. She even had some on her face, causing Chaeyoung to giggle. Even as the taller girl towered over her, her presence stoic and intimidating, she was just so cute at the same time.

“What’s so funny?” She asked in a defensive tone, giving Chaeyoung an accusatory glare.

“I-um,” Chaeyoung blushed, stuttering as she tried not to embarrass herself, “you just look really cute trying to be angry with flour on your face.”

The terminally angry girl’s eyebrows shot up, and her glare morphed into a look of shock.

“Yeah… well y-you look like shit!” Tzuyu said, her blush giving away how flustered she was. Chaeyoung probably would have been angry if Tzuyu hadn’t suddenly gotten so shy. Chaeyoung knew an opportunity to tease when one presented itself. Seeing her so flustered definitely boosted her confidence.

“Well, maybe if you didn’t make me sleep in the woods I wouldn’t look like I got run over by a car.” Chaeyoung teased, although Tzuyu cringed at her words.

“I’m sorry, that was very rude of me. I was very upset yesterday, but I will try to be more hospitable while you stay here.” Tzuyu paused, eyeing Chaeyoung, “You already ate all the figs I gave you?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh well, actually a goat ate them.” Chaeyoung admitted, scratching the back of her head nervously.

“A… goat?”

“Well yeah, I was sleeping, and when I woke up, he had his goat pal distract me while he stuffed his head in the jar.”

The taller girl covered her mouth with her hand as she let out a laugh. 

Chaeyoung quite liked her laugh. It was airy and uplifting. The type of laugh that makes you want to laugh too.

“So you haven’t eaten today I’m assuming?” The girl asked. Chaeyoung shook her head.

“First, you should clean yourself up, then you can come in and eat. I’m cooking right now so you will have to wait anyway. I’ll be right back.” The girl disappeared into her home, reappearing with a bundle of items.

“Here’s some soap and clothes for you. You can clean yourself in the river along the path. We passed it yesterday, I trust you can find it?”

Chaeyoung nodded, accepting the clothes gratefully. This wetsuit was getting more uncomfortable by the minute. 

“I’ll be back then, thanks Tzu!” 

“Gods, just get out of here and get rid of that smell. Ugh, you humans I just…” Tzuyu started mumbling in a language she couldn’t understand. The door shut and Chaeyoung guessed that was her cue to leave. 

Many things about what the girl just said didn’t add up, but then again, nothing here really made sense. She would mull it over later.

-

Chaeyoung probably wasn’t wearing this dress right. Her whole life, Chaeyoung has disliked wearing dresses, but at least she could figure out how to put them on. It was obvious the fabric was meant to be tied, but Chaeyoung wasn’t sure which peices were meant to be tied and which were meant to drape around her body. Giving up, she just tied it around her waist like a belt.

Maybe it could be described as tomboy-ish, but she really preferred pants. Either way, the fabric was impossibly soft and the block of soap she gave her smelled like honey and sweet citrus. 

Making her way back, Chaeyoung opened the door and walked in for the first time. Tzuyu was bent over a large wooden stove, pulling out the bread.

“Oh that smells amazing,” Chaeyoung said, causing the girl to flinch. After setting down the bread on the table, she turned to give Chaeyoung a glare.

“Don’t scare me like that.”

“Sorry princess, I really didn’t mean to.” She said, trying to sound as casual as possible. Tzuyu let out a giggle and her glare disappeared from her face.

“Hey, what’s so funny?” chaeyoung asked, making the girl’s giggle turn into a full blown laugh.

“You… y-you’re wearing that completely wrong,” she said, her laughing dying down, “let me help you.” Tzuyu walked over, extremely close. Her hands moved and she shuffled the fabric over head, untying the knot at her waist. Chaeyoung felt like she was on fire. If she wasn’t so embarrassed, it was possible that she would have attempted to flirt with the girl, but her confidence had basically evaporated from how close she was.

Why did women always smell so good?

“There,” Tzuyu said, tying the fabric at her shoulder.

“Thanks, seriously. For the clothes and the food and the nice soap and-” she paused, partially for dramatic affect, partially because she was contemplating how angry Tzuyu would get, “and thanks for the wonderful grapes.” Tzuyu huffed in annoyance at her remark and returned to the kitchen. 

“Gods why did I pull you out of the ocean?” 

Chaeyoung gasped, “So you’re the angel I saw! I wasn’t dreaming!”

Tzuyu blushed again, “W-what! Angel? Shut up!” The girl sputtered out.

“I guess you saving my life is another thing I have to thank you for, so thanks.”

Tzuyu just nodded, looking away.

She grabbed some vegetables out of a basket and soon the table was covered in delicious looking food. The bread was in the shape of flatbread, it reminded her of pita bread. Olives and goat cheese, as well as a large variety of fruits and vegetables were all cut and prepared as well.

They ate in silence for a while, until surprisingly, Tzuyu broke the silence.

“Do you mind if I ask you a question?”

Chaeyoung shook her head, urging her to ask.

“So, what exactly is a car?” She asked, staring at Chaeyoung, who had her cheeks stuffed as she slowly chewed. The girl gestured for her to wait as she swallowed and cleared her throat.

“You don’t know what a car is?” Chaeyoung asked, slightly shocked. Tzuyu shook her head in reply. Just how isolated was this girl?

“I said I looked like I got run over by a car because a car is a vehicle that is used to transport it’s driver around. It has an engine fueled by gas that powers it. They are bug and very heavy.”

“I don’t really understand…”

“Well… I’ve never really had to explain it to someone before, I’m probably just bad at explaining it.” Chaeyoung said, popping an olive in her mouth.

“Well, you asked me a question, do you mind if I ask you one?”

“That’s fine.”

“Are you alone on this island?”

“Yes, I am alone.” Tzuyu looked down at her hands, as much as the girl towered over her, she looked very small at the moment.

“Look, I’m sorry if I’m prying too much, but I’m just so confused. What did you mean when you said this was your prison?”

“Can we just talk about something else?” Tzuyu said, not in her usual confident tone, but something less sturdy, Chaeyoung knew to back off.

“Well, I would love to tell you more about myself, but I’m having trouble remembering how I even ended up here, I think I probably hit my head or something.”

“I see…” Tzuyu took a sip of water, distracting herself from the growing awkwardness between them.

“Oh! Earlier today I was walking around the island, trying to see what’s around, and I found this beautiful painting on the wall, and these jars of powders. Those are yours, right?”

“Oh, yeah those powders are colored pigments I made to mix with oils.” 

“The painting was incredible!” Chaeyoung gushed, speaking sincerely, “I mean, the amount of detail you managed to create on such a challenging surface to paint on is amazing! You really have talent.”

“Oh, thank you.” Tzuyu said, her posture and voice growing less timid. “I forgot about that painting to be honest.” She said, her voice was lighter, almost solemn.

“Yeah it looks like it’s been there a while. Maybe even years, when did you paint it?”

“Oh, probably two hundred years ago, give or take.”

“What? Wait, you're joking right? That’s impossible.” Chaeyoung laughed nervously.

“Listen human, you probably forget all of this when you leave, but I am thousands of years old. You have no idea what’s possible.”

“I-you’re lying.” Chaeyoung said, voice cracking.

It didn’t look like Tzuyu was lying at all.

“How long have you been here?” Chaeyoung asked, feeling the weight of the question as it left her lips.

“Practically my whole life.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk when the next update will be i have a lot of studying to do as well as work but hopefully soon :3


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My loona lightstick just arrived after months of me ordering. Idk why I keep buying lightsticks when they are never gonna come to my country lol. Now i have the twice one and the loona one. They just have that power i guess
> 
> Anyway enjoy this chapter, its gonna be a ride :)

“Look, for the third time, I was still on Ogygia when all of that happened in Rome and Greece. All I really know is stories that other humans have told me over the millenium.”

“So you weren’t there when Greece revolutionized philosophy? You didn’t know about it’s wars with Sparta and Rome, or the Persian war? You never heard about Philip’s II Sacred Third and Fourth War?” Chaeyoung asked, trying to see if she had any information.

“No, I’ve been exiled here before all that happened. My contact and understanding of human affairs is very limited.” Tzuyu said, trying to keep her patience in check at the bothering question Chaeyoung kept asking.

“Look, I’m sorry I don’t have the answers, Chaeyoung. I wish I knew more to answer your questions, especially since you seem so interested in Greek history.”

“Yeah…” Chaeyoung didn’t really remember why she knew so much about ancient Greek history, but she could feel it’s importance. It was hard to fully grasp that the Greek gods she studied for so long were real, but at the same time, Chaeyoung felt fulfilled by the new knowledge.

Sana would be proud.

Chaeyoung still couldn’t fully recall her memories, but recently she had been dreaming about Sana more and more. Saying her name out loud felt familiar, bringing a warm feeling of comfort. Chaeyoung dreamt of her smile, of her laugh, of her face. Chaeyoung knew that Sana was important in her life before she landed on Ogygia, but she still didn’t know how Sana fit into her old life.

One dream she kept having was of Sana and a few other people, whose faces Chaeyoung couldn’t recognize, boarding a boat. They were dragging with them heavy equipment and bags. Was this for her research? Then the dream flashed to group of them, scouring over books and papers. They were searching. Searching for what? The dream always ended with Sana gently caressing her cheek, opening her mouth to say something, before Chaeyoung would inevitably wake up. 

What did the dream mean?

Who was Sana?

-

The past few days, her curiosity and wonder really showed through when she found out Tzuyu was an immortal being. Her mind was struggling to fathom the length of Tzuyu’s existence. Chaeyoung thought being in the presence of Tzuyu after finding this out she really was a goddess (sort of), would be different. She thought she would see Tzuyu in a different way, but surprisingly, nothing between them really changed. Tzuyu still became a blushing mess whenever Chaeyoung teased, and still easily got frustrated. 

The day to day domestic life she lived with Tzuyu was… calming.

Over the weeks, Chaeyoung learned how to use Tzuyu’s loom, how she made soap, and how to cook different ancient Greek dishes. The one thing she was expressly not allowed to even touch was Tzuyu’s garden, which Chaeyoung was fine with. On Tzuyu’s designated gardening days, she simply helped carry her harvest’s back to her small home whenever it was time to call it a day. 

Tzuyu was very protective of those plants. 

Tzuyu however, was getting hard to read. The girl was naturally quiet, Chaeyoung had observed, usually with a calm, indifferent expression on her face. It seemed she was always deep in thought, causing Chaeyoung to have to say her name multiple times to get her attention most of the time.

“So, what’s on your mind right now? You seem to be thinking a lot.” Chaeyoung asked, as they laundered their clothes in the river. Tzuyu was looking down, scrubbing furiously at a blanket in the same spot, over and over, staring intently with her brow furrowed. 

“Tzuyu?” Chaeyoung said, at a relatively normal volume. The girl continued scrubbing. She was probably going to tear the blanket at this rate.

“Tzuyu!” She yelled abruptly, finally getting the taller girl’s attention. She looked up and paused her scrubbing, raising her eyebrows.

“What?” She asked, clearing her throat.

“I called your name and asked you a question, but you’ve been so deep in thought you didn’t answer.”

“Oh…” she looked back down at the blanket she was washing, a light blush rising on her cheeks. Chaeyoung definitely noticed. She stood up from her basket of clothes and sat down right beside the older girl, deciding not to tease her for once.

“I-I don’t know if I’m crossing a line here, but something is off about you. Is everything okay?” Chaeyoung asked gently, looking at Tzuyu’s hidden face.

At first, Tzuyu didn’t say anything, just taking a few deep breaths. Patiently, Chaeyoung waited for her to say something. 

“It’s nothing… I’m just ah,” Tzuyu paused, slowly turning to meet Chaeyoung’s eyes, “I’m just reminiscing, about the past.”

“Oh,” Chaeyoung nodded, “I’m open to listening if you need, or just sitting if you’d rather not talk.” Tzuyu’s soft golden eyes started to tear up, and she quickly looked away, hiding her face behind long strands of hair.

Unsure, slowly the shorter girl reached out and touched one of Tzuyu's hands that laid limp at her side, just lightly putting her hand over Tzuyu’s. Chaeyoung half expected her to pull away, but she didn’t.

They sat like that for a while. The water of the river cascading past them as they sat. Birds chirping above them.

It was peaceful, and for a while, Tzuyu was shaking slightly, hiding her face. Chaeyoung could only assume she was crying, but didn’t want to push the girl. So she gently rubbed the top of her hand and sat silently, waiting for her to make the first move. 

Minutes passed and Tzuyu eventually broke the silence.

“When I was exiled here, Zeus added more to my punishment than just being stuck on this isalnd. I dunno, I guess he decided leaving me completely isolated wasn’t enough, so every so often, he would send someone to Ogygia. I suppose he doesn’t specifically send people himself, I’m sure he has better things to do, but people wash up here every so often. I… I’ve lost track a long long time ago but, probably thousands of people have washed up here over the centuries.” She said, her voice slightly raspy from crying.

“They would wash up here, their memories completely gone. Only knowing their names, and they would spend a short time here with me. But then-” Tzuyu abruptly stopped talking, pulling her hand away and standing up.

“Tzuyu?” Chaeyoung stood up, trying to look at her face.

“I um, forgot something, just finish up here.” She said, walking away briskly.

Chaeyoung was tempted to follow, to ask what was going on, to figure out why she was crying. The more she thought about though, she realized it probably wouldn’t be hard to figure out. Tzuyu was an immortal goddess, humans simply were not. She remembered the first few days when Chaeyoung first got here.

On and on Tzuyu went about getting her a boat to leave. She avoided Chaeyoung, pushed her away, and made her sleep outside.

The pieces were coming together, but the puzzle wasn’t finished quite yet.

-

Ever since that day by the river, Tzuyu seemed to be more distant than ever. The chasm between them was huge, yet Chaeyoung was sleeping right beside her bed on the floor each night. How did it get like this? They used to talk about all kinds of things before. Painting methods, modern technology, ancient practices, anything. Now, Tzuyu shot down every attempt Chaeyoung made to hold a conversation.

Chaeyoung was getting sick of it.

It seemed as if some moments, Tzuyu had no problem with Chaeyoung’s goofy nature or stupid clownery. Other times, it was if Tzuyu couldn’t stand her.

-

Chaeyoung was walking to the house with a bucket of water Tzuyu asked her to get, when she heard singing. Even though her home wasn’t even in Chaeyoung’s sight, Tzuyu’s voice could still be heard, ringing out a beautiful melody. Her voice held power in it. Something indescribable. It was mesmerizing, her body moved forward on it’s own, as if she was being lulled into a trance. It was… heavenly.

A dopey smile made its way onto Chaeyoung’s face as she walked down the path and opened the door, walking in. Immediately Tzuyu stopped singing, and the fog in her brain dissipated. 

“I-uh, wow. Your voice…” Chaeyoung said, almost dreamily, setting the bucket down on the floor. “What song was that? It was just… wait-how did I get here?” Chaeyoung asked, looking around confused. Wasn’t she in the forest a few seconds ago?

“I- it was a song Jihyo used to sing.” Tzuyu said, clearly flustered. “I’m sorry you weren’t supposed to hear me sing, I got carried away, r-really I’m sorry.” She said, suddenly frantic, rushing up to where Chaeyoung stood, staring widely into her eyes.

“What do you mean? Why are you sorry? It was beautiful.” Chaeyoung said, smiling.

“My singing is dangerous. It has an effect over mortals, I didn’t mean to take control over you like that… I’m so sorry Chae.” Tzuyu looked so apologetic, desperation in her voice as she grabbed Chaeyoung’s hands.

“Chae? You have a nickname for me now?” Chaeyoung asked cheekily, grinning up at the taller girl.

“Wha-I… I apologize to you and you just ignore it? Gods you’re insufferable!” Tzuyu said, puffing out her cheeks with a huff.

“Look, it’s okay Tzuyu. Don’t feel bad please. Sorry I just can’t help it when you’re so cute.” Chaeyoung said, poking her cheek gently.

“I- I am not cute! I am thousands of years old! I am the immortal daughter of the titan king! I’m anything but cute!” Chaeyoung held in a giggle, covering her hands with her mouth.

“Anyway, daughter of the titan king, need help with dinner?”

-

That night, Chaeyoung laid down in her little spot she had claimed on the floor, shifting around tirelessly. The wool she laid on was comfortable, normally she would be lulled right to sleep, but her mind wouldn’t turn off. Memories were flooding in, but Chaeyoung couldn’t quite piece them together.

Sana. They were on a boat. The ocean surrounded them on the horizon, it was quiet. Three other people were on the boat with them, their conversation muffled.

Sana was smiling at her, bouncing in excitement. Chaeyoung was sure of that. They were looking for something, maybe they found it? Sana helped her get into scuba gear. Next to her, Nayeon was strapping in Jeongyeon. Their faces were blurry, but she remembered their names. As if on instinct, she wanted to call out to them. They felt familiar. 

There was someone else, but the memory left Chaeyoung and another one appeared.

“Chae be quiet!” She heard Tzuyu mutter on the bed next to her.

“What?” Chaeyoung asked, sitting up, rubbing her head.

“You were talking in your sleep,” Tzuyu said, still laying down, facing Chaeyoung.

“Oh sorry… I think I’m starting to get my memory back, I keep seeing faces and-”

“Sana?” Tzuyu asked abruptly, her eyes surprisingly empty. The dark lighting in the room made her eyes look all the more devoid. It was actually slightly off putting, giving Chaeyoung goosebumps.

“H-how did you know?” 

“You kept saying it in your sleep,” she said robotically.

“Sorry, I don’t remember who she is but I keep seeing her face and I-”

“Just go back to sleep Chaeyoung, we can talk about it later.” Tzuyu said, turning her back and ending the conversation there.

-

They didn’t end up having the conversation, and Chaeyoung quickly learned not to mention it to Tzuyu. She seemed really upset, and Chaeyoung didn’t know how to approach her. 

-

“The stars always make me realise how… big everything is.” Chaeyoung said, breaking the silence as they lay next to each other on the beach.

Tzuyu stayed silent, staring up at the grand cosmos above them. The green hue of the milky way was something Chaeyoung had never imagined she would be able to see in her lifetime.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen the sky so raw before, usually there’s light pollution where I’m from.”

“What is your home called?” Tzuyu asked, looking at her softly.

“South Korea is my home.” 

“Dahyun was from there I think…” Tzuyu said, looking back up to the stars. Chaeyoung wanted to ask, and almost did, but decided not to. 

It was quiet, and Chaeyoung smiled slightly.

“It really makes you feel small, those millions of stars up there, it makes me feel like nothing I do really matters.”

Tzuyu sat up, looking at her with scrunched eyebrows. “I don’t think that at all.”

“What?”

“The things you do matter, even if you don’t know it, it matters to someone.” Tzuyu said, pausing a moment before continuing, “You know, Astraeus is the titan of the stars and planets. I’ve met him before when I was very young. He tried to explain to me how big the world is up there in the sky, it makes me feel small too.”

“You met him?” Chaeyoung sat up too, replacing the stars from the sky in her eyes.

“Yeah… he’s nice. Apparently the sky above ours is so big that it’s infinite, always growing bigger. There are hundreds of planets like ours. I haven’t seen him in… well I didn’t get to see any of my family after Zeus banished me here.” 

“That’s true! Our universe is so massive, and some scientists believe that there are multiple universes, or multiverses, it’s amazing really.” Chaeyoung said, staring up at the milky way above them. “Do you dream about them? Your family?”

“I used to, all the time. But I can’t remember them anymore. It’s hard to picture their faces after so long. I’m even worse at remembering the humans who land here.”

Chaeyoung hummed, frowning slightly at the thought of how long Tzuyu has been suffering, “I keep having dreams of my family too, and my friends.”

“Sana?”

“Yeah, her and a few others.”

“Chae, I’m sorry but I should have told you this sooner but I will now,” she said, facing her with a somber smile, “when people first arrive on the island, their memory is stolen from them. Slowly, they recover it, remembering things of their life until they leave. I never understood why Zues did that, but by the time they recover their memory they can leave, because by then I-” Tzuyu cut herself off, looking away. After a second she continued, “Um, but yeah, you will probably fully recover your memory soon, I already started carving out a boat for when the time comes.”

“So… is there like some magical barrier that’s stopping you from getting on the boat with me and leaving?” Chaeyoung asked, not deterred by Tzuyu’s solemn demeanor.

“There is magic in place, I’ve tried many different ways to leave, none of them work.”

“But I can leave whenever I want?” Chaeyoung asked, trying to understand the situation better.

“Technically no, that’s part of the curse. You can leave now though.”

“I don’t understand, what is this curse you keep talking about?” Chaeyoung asked, looking up into Tzuyu’s eyes. “What changed that made it so I can leave?

“Well, in order for you to leave, I have to um…” Tzuyu sighed, taking a deep breath, looking down into Chaeyoung’s eyes.

“I have to fall in love with you.”

-

“You have to… fall in love with me?” Chaeyoung asked, shocked. Tzuyu didn’t speak, simply nodding.

“And you said that I could leave now?” Tzuyu nodded again.

“So that means…” Tzuyu nodded again, looking away. 

“So not only are you exiled here but have to constantly get your heart broken when we leave!” Chaeyoung said, raising her voice, getting angry at the god who made Tzuyu go through this.

She looked up at the sky, anger stewing as she yelled. “You asshole, is this some sick joke to you? Is her banishment not enough! I’ll find you and-”

A hand grabbed hers, tugging at it slightly. Tzuyu was just shaking her head sadly. 

“Yelling isn’t gonna change anything, trust me I’ve tried. Zeus doesn’t even pay attention here, I’ll be here until the world ends.”

“So, every person to ever come here you’re forced to fall in love with?” Chaeyoung asked, widening her eyes. Tzuyu shook her head, chuckling slightly. 

“You can’t force someone to fall in love. I just do, I was never forced to fall in love with you either. I just do.”

“I will be damned if I leave you here alone. I’ll find a way to get you out of here, there has to be a way!” She said, determination in her tone.

“Don’t say that,” Tzuyu said, her voice shattering, “don’t give me false hope.”

“No I’m serious, I promise.” Tzuyu’s eyes got cold, a stark contrast from her usual soft gaze.

“You’re not the first to say that. Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” 

“No, I will do it. You don’t deserve this. This is not a punishment for whatever you did to end up here. This is unnecessarily cruel and I won’t let it continue! I don’t care, I will figure it out.”

Tzuyu dropped their joined hands, hugging herself instead.

“I remember,” Chaeyoung continued, “I remember what I was doing before I washed up here. I was in scuba gear because me, Sana, Jeongyeon, Nayeon, and Momo were looking for something at the bottom of the Meditteranean Sea. We were on the verge of something, something big.” 

“It doesn’t matter, nothing will work.”

“I don’t believe that. I will find a way.”

Tzuyu just sighed, looking back up to the stars.

“Tzuyu, the thing is, I think I may have fallen for you too…” Chaeyoung said softly, taking a step forward. Tzuyu looked back down, shock written on her face.

“But… I haven’t been nice to you at all! I did everything I could to-“ 

Chaeyoung started laughing, cutting her off.

“Tzuyu, you’ve been kind to me in more ways than you think. I’ve fallen for the way you talk to plants, the way you dance around the house cleaning when you think I’m not looking, the way you get so flustered when I compliment you, the way you sing.” Chaeyoung said wrapping her hands around her shoulders, pulling her closer. Tzuyu, dumbfounded, just stared wide eyed as Chaeyoung made the distance between them smaller.

“Can I kiss you?” Chaeyoung asked. Something flashed in Tzuyu’s golden eyes, and for a moment, they just stared into each other’s eyes, frozen in time.

“Yes.”

Chaeyoung didn’t wait as she squeezed her eyes shut and tilted her head to finally meet Tzuyu’s soft lips. It was chaste and only lasted a few seconds before Chaeyoung pulled away, seeing how awkwardly Tzuyu’s hands were glued to her sides, a blush on her face. Chaeyoung giggled and grabbed Tzuyu’s hands, placing them on her waist before diving back in. A few more moments and Tzuyu seemed to get over her initial awkwardness, her grip around her waist suddenly tightening as she pulled Chaeyoung even closer. They fell into a rhythm, the kiss gradually getting more heated as tongue got involved. It was clear Tzuyu was timid about physical affection, but after a few moments she adjusted quickly.

Eventually they separated for air, panting as they stared into each other’s eyes. 

“I- wow.” Tzuyu said, her cheeks red. “I never imagined…” she mumbled softly.

“Wait, was that your first kiss?” Chaeyoung asked softly, smiling. 

Tzuyu just whined and loosened her grip on Chaeyoung, to which Chaeyoung pulled her closer, looking directly up at her.

“I- usually the humans have left before it gets to this point. I’ve never kissed anyone before.” Chaeyoung just nodded, smiling.

-

As they prepared for bed later in the night, Chaeyoung somehow convinced Tzuyu to let them share the bed, meaning Chaeyoung now spooned the taller as they both drifted off to sleep. 

Chaeyoung didn’t want to think about having to leave Ogygia, so she just burrowed her nose into Tzuyu’s hair, inhaling her scent.

She drifted off to sleep smiling.

-

In her dreams, the same things happened as usual. The five of them hauled their gear onto a waiting boat, scoured over texts and maps, and then it morphed into Sana, cupping her cheek, about to open her mouth. Instead of waking up where the dream normally ended however, Sana spoke.

“Chaeyoung, I love you.” 

They kissed. Chaeyoung woke up in a sweat, panting. Tzuyu was sleeping soundly next to her, soft breaths rising and falling.

Sana was her girlfriend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me you thought, i was kinda sitting on this and rewrote a big portion of it. Idk how i feel about it though :/


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a plan for this but im just so unmotivated. I wasnt even gonna post this because im not happy with it but i just decided to anyway :/
> 
> Anyway idk when i’ll get to the last chapter, im working on like 3 other projects rn and i was just really hard on myself for this one. It feels pretty personal, so i hope you can feel what chaeyoungs feeling as you read.

Chaeyoung desperately tried to sleep after her dream. Sana… 

Her soft smile, her beautiful voice, their whole relationship, it was all coming back to her. Memories of them, moments of happiness and moments of anger. Ups and downs. It was overwhelming, but Chaeyoung could feel her heart full to the brim with love for Sana. She remembered it all, the ring she has hidden away at their shared apartment, their two cats, their passion for the job they share.

The feelings crashed over her.

Years of pining, panic as Sana asked her out for real, every emotion she felt as they shared their love. 

Looking out the window, the moon was far from setting, meaning she had barely got any sleep. Her body was begging her to go back to bed, and with Tzuyu lightly breathing next to her as she slept made things harder. With a sigh, she laid her body back down, pulling the covers up to her neck. 

Focusing on Tzuyu’s soft breaths, her eyes closed and Chaeyoung fell back asleep. The dreams came almost instantaneously.

_ They were back on the boat, Sana double checking the oxygen equipment on Chaeyoung’s back. Next to her, Jeongyeon was being helped by Nayeon, and the two of them whispered about something.  _

_ “Everything looks good Chaeyoungie, you guys are ready to dive!” Sana said, tugging gently on the straps. _

_ “We’ve already dropped the anchor and diving lines, so you can just follow them to the ocean floor.” Momo said, stepping out of the main cabin.  _

_ Sana flickered the headlamp on Chaeyoung’s forehead, giving a satisfied nod as it lit up. _

_ “Come back to me soon Chae,” Sana said, giving her a chaste kiss on the cheek.  _

_ “You know I will, hopefully with a discovery that will change our lives.”  _

_ Sana just grinned at her, “Go find it my tiger.” Sana said giggling. _

_ Chaeyoung heard Jeongyeon snort comically at Sana’s cheesiness. At first, Chaeyoung thought it was sappy too, but from Sana, she would tolerate it. Sana was the exception for a lot of things. _

_ She grabbed her underwater camera, attaching it to her belt, and picked up the underwater drone Nayeon piloted. Giving Jeongyeon a nod, they both jumped into the sea. Chaeyoung allowed her breathing to adjust to the mask, giving herself a moment to get used to being underwater.  _

_ She gave Jeongyeon a thumbs up, everything seemed to be fine, and Jeongyeon gave her a thumbs up back. The older girl released a green buoy from her belt, which rose to the surface, giving the crew up above the signal they were good to go. _

_ They swam along the diving line, a vast abyss of water surrounding them. The ocean floor was hard to make out, but as they swam Chaeyoung was just able to make it out. Colorful parrot fish and porgys surrounded them as they descended deeper. Chaeyoung would have easily gotten distracted by the marine life if she wasn’t so determined to find what they were looking for. _

_ They soon reached the bottom, which had copious amounts of fish, but no coral. Chaeyoung looked in awe as elegant remoras and scorpion fish glided by, along with dozens of other fish Chaeyoung couldn’t identify. They wove through the sea grass growing on the seafloor, but she had to focus. _

_ Chaeyoung released the camera drone, making sure it had plenty of slack, and it’s engines spurred to life, a sign Nayeon was on the controls. The more eyes they had searching the better. Jeongyeon goofily waved at the camera, before nodding to Chaeyoung. _

_ They wanted to work quickly while they had sunlight, so Jeongyeon gave some hand signals, telling Chaeyoung how they planned to sweep the area. If their research was right, a temple should be here, sunken for thousands of years. _

_ This Roman temple split from the mainland of Italy during Mount Vesuvius’ eruption, or at least, that was their theory. Momo believed the eruption was caused by an earthquake, causing the land to crack and destabilize. There wasn’t even concrete proof this temple existed, but the possibilities of knowledge and historical relics that it may contain was enough motivation for all of them. _

_ It was unlikely a temple of this nature would go undiscovered for so long, especially with them searching only a few dozen kilometers off the coast of Italy, which was why so many people doubted its existence. The only reason they risked so much on finding it was because Momo’s career relied on it. When confronted about her controversial research in an interview, let’s just say she had strong words for the rude host. _

_ Methodically, Jeongyeon and Chaeyong combed the seafloor, looking for any man made clues. The only thing she had found so far that was indicative of human activity was trash.  _

_ They searched for a while, but because of air consumption, especially at the depth they were diving, it wouldn’t be safe to go past thirty minutes. Then, Chaeyoung found something. Seaweed coiled and grew around it, but it seemed to be some sort of statue. Chaeyoung took out her flashlight and blinked it at Jeongyeon, getting the older girl’s attention.  _

_ While the girl swam over, Chaeyoung cleared off the flora growing on it, and the figure became more clear. At the base of the pedestal was an inscription Chaeyoung couldn’t read, so she took her camera and snapped a few photos.  _

_ Chaeyoung saw that the statue's hands were positioned in a way as if it was gripping something, and light shimmered off of it in bursts. Chaeyoung couldn’t make out what it was holding because of the bursts of lights. _

_ Suddenly, they heard a loud boom. Considering they were underwater and could still hear it, it caused Chaeyoung to slightly panic. Jeongyeon made the signal to surface, and Chaeyoung re-secured her camera and swam back to the anchor, swimming up at a quick pace. She didn’t want to go up too fast in case of decompression sickness, but another boom sounded, making her panic even more. The water started to get murky and dark, as if the sun was being blocked. _

_ Eventually they got to the surface, to see a violent storm was brewing, with dark clouds forming in the sky. Chaeyoung heard shouting on board. Jeongyeon and her swam to the rear of the ship to climb aboard, due to the growing unsafety of being in the water. The waves threw them around but Jeongyeon made it, and Nayeon and Sana helped quickly drag her aboard. Chaeyoung was about to grab the ladder bar when something tugged her under.  _

_ Something was pulling her below the surface. _

_ Chaeyoung fought with everything she had, kicking as hard as she could, and managed to resurface, gasping for air as she heard Sana scream her name. Looking frantically, she saw the boat now drifting away. Kicking as hard as possible, Chaeyoung tried to swim to them, but over her shoulder she saw the looming shadow of a wave form and then… _

  
  
  


Chaeyoung gasped, waking up from her dreams again. She remembered everything now. The darkness of night felt heavy around her, and Chaeyoung knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep again no matter how hard she tried. To be honest, she didn’t even know if she wanted to sleep anymore. 

Her thoughts went to her crew, her  _ friends.  _ Imagining Sana crying over her, while Jeongyeon probably blamed herself, and Nayeon and Momo… Chaeyoung knew them well enough to know how hard they would take it. Chaeyoung couldn’t stay here.

She couldn’t do that to them.

Sana.

Chaeyoung was going to propose. After they got back, she remembered the elaborate plan she had laid out with the help of Nayeon.

It was all too much. All these memories crashing on her at once. It was just  _ too much. _

But, when Chaeyoung’s eyes fell to the body sleeping beside her, she doubted herself, if only for an instant, and the guilt came after that.

Chaeyoung decided to distract herself from the problem, and got up to go do some chores she knew Tzuyu needed done.

-

Chaeyoung has been acting strangely ever since they kissed on the beach. Tzuyu remembers the next day after it happened, it seemed as if Chaeyoung’s mind was in another place. When Tzuyu woke up, the bed was empty and she found Chaeyoung chopping firewood bright and early.

Normally that would be fine, but it was so unlike her to even get up first Tzuyu was worried.

“Chaeyoung?” She said, approaching the girl from behind. The shorter girl visibly stiffened, confirming Tzuyu’s worries. “What are you doing up so early?”

Chaeyoung turned, biting her lip in apprehensiveness. “I-um, I was having trouble sleeping and just needed to clear my head.” She said, turning and swinging the axe down forcefully. Tzuyu has never seen the younger girl so nervous before, used to the side of her that was oozing confidence.

“Is this about our kiss last night?” Tzuyu asked, getting straight to the point.

Chaeyoung paused mid swing at the question. The taller girl had no idea how to take Chaeyoung’s reluctance or nervousness.

“It’s… complicated.”

Chaeyoung was silent, and went back to chopping more wood. Not knowing what to say, Tzuyu stood there, watching Chaeyoung bring the axe down over and over, until the younger suddenly broke the silence.

“I’m so sorry Tzuyu, I hate myself so much for doing this…” Chaeyoung said, setting the axe down to the side and finally turning to face her again. “It’s not fair to keep this from you.”

“Keep what from me?” she asked, taking a few steps closer, making the shorter girl shrink in on herself slightly.

“We kissed yesterday, and I truly have feelings for you but… I had a dream last night about my life back before all this and well,” Chaeyoung fidgeted with the fabric of her pants (Tzuyu insisted on making her a pair), biting her lip again. “I remembered who Sana is… she’s my girlfriend.” Chaeyoung looked down, hiding her face.

Somehow, Tzuyu knew this was coming, but it still felt like a punch to the gut. Chaeyoung never was hers, even as they shared a fleeting kiss the night before, it just wasn’t meant to be. Struggling to speak, there was nothing she could do but fight back tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.

Chaeyoung started shaking, and her heart stung for the girl. Tzuyu had felt this heartbreak many times over her lifetime, and would continue to feel it for centuries to come. The best thing she could do was at least attempt to comfort the younger girl. None of this was her fault.

Closing the distance between them, Tzuyu hugged Chaeyoung, pulling her into a tight embrace. 

“I’m so sorry for playing with y-you’re feelings… I’m so sorry Tzuyu I swear I didn’t know and now I’m confused and I don’t know what to do anymore.”

“The boats done Chae, you can leave.” 

“What?” Chaeyoun untangled herself from the taller girl’s arms, looking up with mixed emotions on her face. “I can’t just leave! Not after yesterday… how shitty of me would it be to play with your feelings more than I already have? I need to-“

“No Chae.” Tzuyu interrupted, gently yet firm. “You need to go, it will be harder for both of us the longer you stay.” 

Chaeyoung bit her lips, looking down in defeat. “You have people back in the world who miss you and love you Chae. You can’t stay. What about your research? What about your friends?” Tzuyu asked, taking a deep breath. “What about your girlfriend?”

“I don’t care if people have promised it before, I will take you out of here with me, we can go together!” The shorter girl said, tugging at Tzuyu’s hands.

“Chae stop, it won’t work.” 

The girl ignored her, marching them towards Tzuyu’s house. Tears welled up in Tzuyu’s eyes, Chaeyoung being much stronger then she looked. It wasn’t going to work, and yet Chaeyoung insisted on putting her through more pain than necessary.

“Chae please stop.” Tzuyu said, almost begging. The girl still ignored her.

“Where’s the boat?” She asked, in a tone Tzuyu never heard from the younger girl before, it kind of… scared Tzuyu. The younger girl’s grip on her wrist tightened painfully, but it didn’t even seem like Chaeyoung noticed as she started walking quickly, mumbling under breath.

“I-It’s on the beach… where I found you.” Tzuyu said meekly. She has never felt so vulnerable under someone’s gaze before, not even Zeus as he condemned her. “Please Chae, you’re s-scaring me.” Tzuyu said, letting a single tear fall down her cheek, completely losing her composure.

This snapped Chaeyoung out of whatever trance she was in, as the girl abruptly stopped walking and dropped her wrist. Tzuyu lifted it up, examining the red marks left behind. This wasn’t the Chaeyoung she fell for at all.

Looking up, their eyes met, and all Tzuyu saw in Chaeyoung’s was regret.

“Tzuyu, oh shit! I’m so sorry I didn’t realize what I was doing, I wasn’t myself! And I hurt you…” Chaeyoung said, reaching out. Tzuyu was an immortal titan, but she was very young when she was brought here. In many ways, she was still a child. She flinched as Chaeyoung reached out, causing Chaeyoung to stop in her tracks.

“Tzuyu, I don’t want to end it like this. I’m so sorry I swear I never meant to hurt you.” The groaned, stepping back. Hurt, regret, anger, sorrow… all flashed behind Chaeyoung’s eyes in seconds.

Tzuyu’s heart broke.

“Chaeyoung, I can’t leave with you, just don’t make this harder. I know it’s hard but I’ll be okay.” 

Chaeyoung looked conflicted, opening her mouth to say something but then pausing, eventually closing her lips in silence.

“I didn’t mean for any of this Tzuyu, I’m so sorry.” Chaeyoung said, tears forming in her eyes as well.

This girl made her cry for the first time in… centuries. 

“Everything will be okay, I’ll never forget you Chaeyoung.” Tears were streaming down her face uncontrollably now, “I will never forget…”

Chaeyoung surged forward and they just stayed In each other's arms, Tzuyu not wanting to shy away anymore. This was goodbye.

“Can I at least spend the rest of the day with you? I can’t leave now.” Chaeyoung said, still in Tzuyu’s arms.

“Let’s spend one last day together.” Tzuyu said, looking down at her with a melancholy smile.

-

“Where are we even going Tzu? I’ve seen the whole island.” Chaeyoung asked, being dragged by the taller girl through the woods.

“You haven’t seen this place yet, I promise.”

Chaeyoung smiled to herself as she allowed herself to be dragged. After hugging it out for a solid chunk of time, they decided to spend the rest of their day putting off chores, leading to Tzuyu suggesting to take Chaeyoung, wherever they were going.

After a few minutes, Chaeyoung heard the sound of a waterfall crashing nearby, and soon they broke through the forest into a clearing. The river cascaded down the mountainside into a lake, before flowing into a river, the same one which flowed near Tzuyu.

“Ah Tzuyu, I hate to break it to you, but I’ve already been here before.” Chaeyoung said, chuckling.

Tzuyu just continued walking towards the water, looking back at Chaeyoung with a smirk.

“The waterfall? I’m sure you’ve seen that, but I guarantee you haven’t seen this…” Tzuyu said, starting to undo her clothes. Chaeyoung noticed what she was doing and fought a blush from forming on her cheeks.

“You can swim right?”

“Yeah…” Chaeyoung said, confused but taking off her clothes as well.

Tzuyu waded out in the water, beckoning Chaeyoung to follow. Chaeyoung dipped in slowly, allowing her body to adjust to the cold water, getting to her waist before pausing. Tzuyu dove under the water, and Chaeyoung was reluctant to follow. As much as Chaeyoung remembered her love for swimming and the ocean, her last experience swimming was unpleasant. She would never admit her nervousness to continue, even as she hesitated to go further.

Tzuyu surfaced near the base of the water, turning her head until she spotted Chaeyoung, still standing by the shore. 

“Chae, this way!” Tzuyu shouted, waving at her.

Chaeyoung nodded, inching deeper. The cold feeling of water splashing against her body knocked the air out of her lungs. Suddenly she couldn’t breathe right.

Wrapping her arms around her body, she gasped for air, feeling her knees weaken, feeling her body sink. Her eyes fogged up, and she couldn’t see past the blurred shapes around her.

Where was she? 

The cold seeped up, and all she could do was thrash her arms around. Sana was somewhere screaming in the distance.

Chaeyoung couldn’t find her.

Then, there was warmth, right on her cheek. Chaeyoung paused. The fog cleared, and Tzuyu was standing before her, hand resting gently on her cheek.

“Chaeyoung?” Her voice whispered, so delicate it made the shorter girl’s heart pound.

“I-I don’t know what happened, I was in the ocean my friends were calling for me and-“

Tzuyu hugged her, and the cold disappeared. 

“It’s okay Chaeyoungie, you're safe. If you don’t feel comfortable in the water, we can do something else.”

“No!” Chaeyoung said, separating from the embrace. “I want to do this. I need to face my fears.”

Tzuyu smiled at her, grabbing Chaeyoung’s hand and turning to face the lake.

“Follow me then.”

With their hands joined, they both slowly made their way to the base of the waterfall. 

“Okay, we are going to have to go under for about half a minute. Take a few deep breaths with me.” Tzuyu said, speaking loudly over the noise of the crashing water.

Chaeyoung synced her breaths with Tzuyu, and both of them took a deep breath before submerging. Tzuyu swam down a few meters, her body gliding along the rocky edge of the cliffside. Chaeyoung looked ahead and spotted a dark opening, likely where they were headed.

They swam into the opening, where it was significantly darker. Chaeyoung felt a familiar panic start to force its way into her mind.

Before she could panic however, Tzuyu grabbed her arm and pulled her upward, and then they surfaced.

Chaeyoung gasped, taking a few moments to catch her breath. 

Chaeyoung looked around, and they seemed to be in some underwater cave. A small hidden pocket of air. It was surprisingly well lit by something that glowed a soft green on the walls. Chaeyoung gasped at the beauty.

Tzuyu swam to the edge, where water met rock, and pushed herself up. 

Tzuyu’s hair was dripping, clinging to her face in such a way that made Chaeyoung practically swoon. The soft glow of light highlighted her features so naturally, this image would probably be burned into her mind for the rest of her life, no question.

Tzuyu looked back at Chaeyoung, who was still dazed, floating in the water. 

“Come on up here silly.” Tzuyu said, snapping Chaeyoung out of it.

Chaeyoung grinned, climbing out onto the cave floor.

Tzuyu grabbed her hand, pulling her towards one of the walls. 

“Look.” Tzuyu pointed.

Chaeyoung examined the glowing stuff on the walls, and up close realized they were crystals. They seemed to have naturally sharp edges, and their glow made them incredible.

“Woah…” Chaeyoung said, in awe.

Tzuyu bent over and grabbed a rock on the ground. “Pick one.”

“Huh?” 

“Pick a gem.” 

“Oh… uh.” Chaeyoung looked around and saw a particularly bright one, and pointed to it.

“That one.”

Tzuyu nodded, examining it before lifting the rock up and bringing it down on the stone. She slammed it forcefully a few times before the gemstone broke free, and Tzuyu held the glowing crystal up victoriously.

“It’s so beautiful in it’s raw form, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Tzuyu just smiled at her, even though it didn’t reach her eyes.

-

Soon they swam out of the cave, Tzuyu clutching the stone. The immortal girl stubbornly refused to tell Chaeyoung what it was for. 

They carried their clothes back, allowing the sun to warm them up as they walked back. Even though the both of them were smiling, Chaeyoung could feel the underlying melancholy between them. 

The last thing she wanted to do was leave, but Sana’s pained screams haunted her. There was no way Chaeyoung would be able to stay, making her friends fear the worst. 

When they got back to the house, Tzuyu rushed inside, saying she had to do something quick. 

“Don’t come in, I’ll be out in a moment.” The taller girl said.

Chaeyoung stood outside, hearing some clatters and curses. Knowing it may be a while, Chaeyoung sat by the river, watching a herd of sheep lazily graze on the other side. Earlier, she asked Tzuyu if she knew how long Chaeyoung had been stranded here. 

To Chaeyoung, it felt like months have gone by, but the taller girl told her not to trust her sense of time. Here, time was an illusion.

The sky was cloudless today, and the sun told Chaeyoung it was probably mid afternoon. Hearing more noise from inside, Chaeyoung could only imagine what was going on in there.

So, she laid in the grass, almost falling asleep after a while when she heard the door slam open, and footsteps rapidly approach.

Chaeyoung opened her eyes to see Tzuyu standing above her, dark ashes on her cheeks and robes.

“What were you even doing?”

“I was enchanting the crystal, and I made this…” Chaeyoung stood up, facing the taller girl. With a timid grin, Tzuyu moved her hands from behind her back revealing two necklaces. They had some sort of spiral cage encasing the crystal, only, the crystal seemed to have stopped glowing.

“I had these frames prepared, but the crystal you picked was too small so I had to make some last minute modifications.” Tzuyu said, lifting them up so Chaeyoung could get a better look. “I split the crystal in half, so we each can have a part of it.”

The gesture made emotions come flooding in, from all corners of Chaeyoung’s being. It was so overwhelming she felt tears prick her eyes. She turned, lifting her hair up from her neck. Tzuyu understood and gingerly placed the necklace around the shorter girl’s neck.

Gently, Tzuyu spoke, “I enchanted the crystal, as long as you wear it, you will be protected. And when you touch the pendant…” Tzuyu gestured for Chaeyoung to touch it.

She clasped her hand around it, and a soft green glow pulsed from the crystal.

The necklace in Tzuyu’s hand glowed as well.

“If you are ever lonely, hopefully this will remind you of me.” Tzuyu said, looking down solemnly.

“Tzuyu I… thank you. For everything.” She croaked out, her voice cracking. She hung her head low, hiding the tears streaming down her face behind her now long hair.

“Chaeyoung…” Tzuyu said, hugging her from behind. “I’ll never forget you. Over all the years you-“ Tzuyu stopped, letting out a sigh. The taller girl removed her arms from Chaeyoung and cleared her throat. 

“Let’s get you one last meal before you go.” Tzuyu said, grabbing the basket and shears from in front of the house.

Chaeyoung wiped her tears, smiling slightly as she followed Tzuyu to the place where they first met.

-

Chaeyoung held the basket for Tzuyu as she expertly plucked cucumbers and tomatoes. Dutifully, the shorter girl followed Tzuyu as she whisked around her garden, the taller girl muttering to herself things that had to be done. It was endearing to watch the girl in her element, so engrossed in her garden. The sight of Tzuyu hunched over a garden bed was another image that would be burned into her memory.

Chaeyoung was snapped out of her musings when something cold was shoved into her free hand. Chaeyoung realized that they stood in front of the grape vines and Tzuyu has handed her the shears expectantly. 

“I’ll teach you how to prune before you go.”

And together, they trimmed and harvested grapes, Tzuyu passing onto her the knowledge she had accumulated over the centuries.

When they had a full harvest, the sun was beginning to set, and together they walked back to the house. Chaeyoung couldn’t believe the reverence Tzuyu held her plants to. 

“We are taking from nature a harvest Chaeyoung, we must do it respectfully. You can’t just rip it off carelessly.” She remembered the girl say.

There was so much Chaeyoung could learn here. 

There was so much Chaeyoung already  _ has _ learned.

-

They shared a meal together. It was fulfilling and yet emptying at the same time. Tzuyu’s eyes were colored a sad, pale yellow. They didn’t twinkle gold as usual. Chaeyoung hated the cruelty of the gods. She would find a way to return to this place. No matter what.

After they ate, Tzuyu carried the boat single handedly to the beach, Chaeyoung numbly following. The sun was setting, lighting the water ablaze with reds and oranges and yellows. She dropped the boat on the send, right where water met sand.

“It’s time Chaeyoung.” Was all she said, her gaze faraway on the horizon.

All she could was stare at the cedar canoe, carved expertly by Tzuyu herself. How many times has she had to do this? 

They watched the sunset together, just standing there, unable to move. Suddenly, Chaeyoung noticed a green glow, and looked down to see her necklace glowing. Turning, her eyes met Tzuyu’s staring back.

“Thank you Chaeyoung.”

Tzuyu gave Chaeyoung a parting kiss on the cheek.

Goodbye.

This was it.

Chaeyoung clutched her necklace, smiling as she got in the boat.

“I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me Tzuyu. Someday I’ll be back, I can feel it.”

Tzuyu’s eyes glistened with tears, red and green reflecting in her eyes as she pushed Chaeyoung’s boat to sea.

Her necklace glowed even as Chaeyoung disappeared from the horizon.

-

Chaeyoung woke up, her body pressed up against the wooden bottom of the canoe. She sat up, disoriented, her body rocking from being afloat. She didn’t even remember falling asleep. How long has it been since she left Ogygia?

Chaeyoung looked around to see a familiar shoreline on the horizon. It was her and the team’s vacation home they always rented out for vacation on Jeju Island. Why was she landing here? She remembered Tzuyu saying it would take her where she needed to go, so this must be the right place. Chayoung paddled with her hands, until her boat got to shallow enough water, she jumped out, not caring if she got the chiton Tzuyu made her wet. She ran up the beach to the house, running around the side to the front door.

All Chaeyoung could think about was seeing her friends again. Seeing Sana again.

Not caring about how disheveled she looked, probably dirty and covered in sand (not to mention the strange clothes), Chaeyoung knocked furiously on the front door. She was practically jumping with excitement as she heard movement inside, with lights turning on inside. It was still dark out, and Chaeyoung had no idea if this was the same night she left Ogygia or if she had been drifting for longer, but it didn’t matter. Not when behind this door was her family. A shadow could be seen under the door and it creaked open.

Nayeon opened the door. The older girl seemed tired, her hair messy and a frown on her face. This Nayeon was nothing like the one she remembered.

Her eyes widened when they met, and Nayeon’s jaw dropped. 

“C-Chaeyoung? Is that you?” She whispered, seemingly in shock. Nayeon took a step forward, putting a hand on her cheek, as if testing she was there.

“Oh my god…” Nayeon pulled her into a hug, her body shaking as Nayeon clutched onto her so tightly Chaeyoung gasped for breath, but allowed Nayeon to clutch her closer.

“How is this possible…” the older girl whispered, hugging her tightly. The younger girl couldn’t find any words to say, she could only hug Nayeon back as the girl sobbed in her shoulder.

“I don’t understand.” Nayeon said, pulling away from the hug. “Where were you? It’s been so long Chaeyoung. What are you even wearing?”

“I’m sorry I was gone for so long I-” Chaeyoung stopped, thinking about Ogygia, her home for the past few months. She clutched the crystal around her neck tightly.

Chaeyoung shivered slightly, the cold night air sending a chill down her spine.

“Come in come in, let's talk inside.”

Chaeyoung walked inside, embarrassed realizing she had no shoes and was tracking in sand everywhere.

“Nayeon… how long has it been?”

“You don’t know? It’s been almost two years Chaeyoung. We thought you were dead, we  _ saw _ you go under-'' Fresh tears streamed down her face, and Chaeyoung pulled the older girl into a hug. Chaeyoung didn’t even have time to process how long she’d been gone when someone else spoke.

“Nayeon, what’s going on?” Chaeyoung heard a voice behind her, one she recognized instantly.

Sana.

She heard the girl yawn, and Chaeyoung turned to see her round the corner. Sana gasped, rubbing her eyes. 

Chaeyoung stared sheepishly at her girlfriend, whie Sana seemed in disbelief. 

“How?”

Sana stepped up, and Chaeyoung was overwhelmed with all kinds of emotions. Memories resurfaced, and they easily overtook Chaeyoung. She couldn’t help but rush forward and jump into the girl’s unsuspecting arms. 

“Sana, I-I remember everything. It’s really you.” Chaeyoung was so overcome by emotion and love for this girl, the strength of the love Chaeyoung had for Sana came back full force. 

“How?” Was all Sana said, pulling away from Chaeyoung’s hug. “No.” Sana backed up. She raised her voice, “No no no. I watched you die Chae, how could have left you-“ 

“I’ll tell you everything later, but right now I want to be with my girlfriend.” Chaeyoung smiled, giddy at seeing Sana again.

Chaeyoung heard a door close, and a third person entered.

“Why are you being so loud baby?” 

Chaeyoung knew instantly it was Momo. The Japanese girl came into the room and when they met eyes, Momo looked utterly shocked.

Maybe she should explain everything.

-

“What do you mean it’s been almost two years! That’s impossible I was only there for…” Chaeyoung felt like crying. They all sat down, and now they were telling her two years passed since that day. It didn’t make sense. 

“You were where Chae? What happened to you?” Nayeon asked. 

“I washed up on an island. You guys aren’t gonna believe me but, I washed up on Ogygia.”

“From the myths? As in Calypso’s Ogygia?” Momo asked, speaking up for the first time since they had sat down. Now that Chaeyoung thought about it, Sana and Momo had been rather quiet. 

“Yeah, it was exactly like the myth, only her name was Tzuyu.”

“Chaeyoung, you washed up on an island?” Nayeon asked softly.

“Yeah, I washed up and I met Tzuyu a little bit after. At first she didn't like me much but eventually…” Chaeyoung trailed off, “How could it have been years… it only felt like a month or two at most.”

Across the room from the, Sana and Momo started arguing in Japanese. Chaeyoung used to speak a little from what Sana taught her, but she was so out of practice she didn’t remember anything and had no idea what they were arguing about.

“So where’s Jeongyeon? Is she asleep?” Chaeyoung asked. The room got heavier as Nayeon visibly darkened at the mention of her name. “Chae, I can’t imagine how hard this is for you, coming back after being gone for so long. The thing is, a lot has happened since then. Jeongyeon…” Nayeon looked out the window wistfully. “After your funeral, she disappeared. I think she blamed herself the most for your death. Before she left, she kept going on about how she could have let you get on the boat first, how she was in the water with you. I guess we broke up the day she left.” Nayeon said, her voice so broken.

It was at that moment where the gravity of her disappearance set in, she knew her friends would take it hard, but thinking of Jeongyeon  _ leaving  _ everyone, it was hard to accept. 

Chaeyoung looked down at her hands. “I’m so sorry I put you all through this, I tried to come back as soon as I could but I was stuck and-“

“No Chaeyoung,” Nayeon said, grabbing her hand. “You came back to us. Don’t be sorry ever, okay?”

Sana and Momo stopped bickering, and she heard her girlfriend clear her throat. Momo sat back into the couch, her arms crossed in a pout. Clearly Sana won the argument.

“Chae…” Sana’s voice cracked. The girl got up and sat right next to Chaeyoung. The shorter girl wanted to do was grab Sana’s hand, but something felt different. Usually Sana clinged to her, but Sana left a distance between them.

“I thought you were dead Chae. It was so hard for me to move on from you, I didn’t think I could do it.” Sana said. Chaeyoung could hear the pain in her girlfriend’s voice, and all she wanted was to soothe her, but she remained seated, listening patiently.

“Momo helped me heal and… move on.” Sana said.

Chaeyoung didn’t quite understand what Sana meant by that, so she just tilted her head in confusion.

“Well of course she helped you, that’s what a good friend would do, right?” Chaeyoung wasn’t sure where Sana was going with this. She looked around the room, trying to get a read on what was going on. Nayeon was gazing out the window, Momo was looking anywhere but Chaeyoung, and Sana…

Sana was looking down at her hands in tears.

Suddenly it dawned on her.

“Oh…” Was all Chaeyoung could say, she didn’t know what she was feeling, but there was a stab of pain, deep in her heart.

“A year ago we started dating.” Sana said, her voice quivering.

Chaeyoung’s world fell apart.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cant stop listening to g-idle new album like ive never wanted to buy an album this much but i have like no money to spare :/ i think my favorite song on it is LOST, but DAHLIA is up there. Id love to hear your thoughts on the album :)

**Author's Note:**

> leave comments and kudos to let me know what you think :)


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